Pros & Cons
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- Class-leading cameras
- Excellent performance
- Privacy Display hides your screen
- Practical AI tools
- Useful S Pen stylus
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- Limited viewing angles
- Average battery life
- Lacks magnetic charging
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Specs
| Battery Life (As Tested) | 15 hours, 5 minutes |
| Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing) | 200MP, 50MP, 50MP, 10MP; 12MP |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy |
| Dimensions | 6.61 by 3.37 by 0.35 inches |
| Operating System | Android 16 |
| Screen Resolution | 3,120 by 1,440 pixels |
| Screen Size | 6.9 |
The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (starting at $1,299.99) is the company's flagship Android phone and one of its most important products of the year. It introduces a host of improvements over its predecessor, including a Privacy Display, more AI tools, a refined design, class-leading connectivity, and powerful cameras. These are all marks in its favor, even if the Privacy Display comes with minor trade-offs. The S26 Ultra is an excellent phone for creatives who want an S Pen stylus and the absolute best cameras, and is our Editors' Choice for flagship Android phones. If you want something smaller and more affordable, consider the S26 or S26+ for a largely similar experience.
Design: Rounded Corners, Unified Look
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is the most comfortable Ultra I've used in many years of reviewing this phone line. Previous generations have resembled bricks, with sharp, blocky corners and right angles everywhere. The S26 Ultra rounds the corners at the four points, leading to a softer phone that's far more pleasant to have in your pocket. Moreover, the design matches the appearance of the S26 ($899.99) and S26+ ($1,099.99) for the first time. All three come in the same colors: Black, Cobalt Violet, Sky Blue, or White, with Pink Gold and Silver Shadow options available only via Samsung's website. I received the Cobalt Violet model, which is pictured in this review. It looks like a dark blue, but sometimes flashes a bit purple in certain light.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The S26 Ultra is the largest of the three S26 models, measuring 6.44 by 3.07 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and weighing 7.55 ounces. It's followed by the S26+ (6.24 by 2.98 by 0.29 inches, 6.70 ounces) in the middle and the S26 (5.89 by 2.82 by 0.28 inches, 5.89 ounces) at the smaller end.
As for competing phones, the $1,199 Pixel 10 Pro XL is in the same ballpark (6.41 by 3.02 by 0.33 inches, 8.18 ounces), as is the $1,199 iPhone 17 Pro Max (6.43 by 3.07 by 0.34 inches, 8.22 ounces). Essentially, these are all very big phones.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)I like the simplified and unified design language across the lineup this year. The metal and glass components are fitted together snugly, with a smooth seam on the front and a slight lip on the rear. The outer edges are flat enough so that the phone will stand on its bottom edge when placed on a level surface.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The S26 Ultra drops the titanium frame of last year's model in favor of Samsung's Armor Aluminum. Samsung says aluminum delivers all the strength it needs while also being easier to work with and more recyclable. On the downside, it's slightly heavier. The Ultra is the only one of the three to use Corning Gorilla Armor 2 to protect the screen: The S26 and S26+ use regular Gorilla Armor. The Ultra meets the IP68 standard for dust and water resistance, as do the S26, S26+, iPhone 17, and Pixel 10.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Samsung hasn't changed the buttons, ports, or controls. The phone's left edge is an uninterrupted line of metal, while the right edge holds the shorter power button and larger volume toggle. The buttons have good profiles, are easy to find, and offer excellent travel and feedback. You might spy the two microphones on the top edge, but everything else is tucked into the bottom. From left to right, this includes the S Pen, speaker, USB-C port (v3.2), and SIM card tray. In addition to one physical SIM card, the phone supports one active eSIM and can store up to seven inactive eSIMs.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)One thing I noticed about the S Pen is that it doesn't sit exactly flush with the phone's frame. This makes it too easy to snag and accidentally eject—even when the phone is in a case. I'm a little befuddled by this lack of polish. As far as the S Pen goes, it has no new features. Samsung hasn't updated it in several years now, and in fact, removed features last year. Still, it's there if you want to scribble or take notes.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The camera modules of today's flagship phones are impossible to miss. Phone makers can arrange the lenses in many ways, and Samsung has long opted for a vertical pill placed in the top-left corner of the rear panel. Apple and Google have their own designs. The S26 Ultra's camera system is enormous. It has to accommodate the four cameras, flash, and sensor array. It's large enough that the phone will not sit level on a flat surface, and it tips back and forth when you tap the screen. This is true even with a case slapped on, an unfortunate side effect.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Display: Privacy Comes at a Price
The S26 Ultra's standout feature is its Privacy Display. The panel has an integrated privacy filter that makes the screen hard to see from any angle except straight-on. You can control the strength of the effect and whether it obscures the entire display or just the notifications portion. It's really great that you can blank out the area for incoming alerts, as those can be sensitive and often arrive without warning (like when sharing photos with a friend). As great as this feature is, there are some downsides.
(Credit: Samsung/PCMag)When held side-by-side, the S26 Ultra clearly has worse viewing angles than the S26 and S26+, even when Privacy Display is off. It dims earlier and is harder to see the more you tilt it. Moreover, when Privacy Display is on, the screen appears muted and with reduced contrast. Also, Privacy Display works so well that, for example, if you set the phone to the side while working at your desk, you can't see the screen when the feature is enabled. This kind of negates the point of the always-on display feature. Sometimes privacy is more important, especially if you're working at a coffee shop and not your home office, but there's a balancing point that Samsung has missed here. Last, the glass itself is more reflective than that of the S26 and S26+, which makes it more prone to glare even when you're not using Privacy Display.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)Beyond that, the Ultra’s 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display has a resolution of 3,120 by 1,440 pixels, a density of 498ppi, and a variable refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Brightness peaks at 2,600 nits. The S26 and S26+ use the same panel type, have the same refresh rate, and generate the same brightness, but measure 6.3 inches (2,340 by 1,080 pixels) and 6.7 inches (3,120 by 1,440 pixels), respectively.
The screen is really good, but not as viscerally impressive as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which doesn't have Privacy Display and offers better viewing angles, a brighter look, and less glare.
For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch always-on display with a density of 460ppi, a 1-120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The Pixel 10 Pro XL has a 6.8-inch screen with a 486ppi, a 1-120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 3,300 nits.
Performance: Snapdragon Elite Delivers, But Isn't Unbeatable
All three US models of the Galaxy S26 series use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy processor. This is a customized version of Qualcomm's current top chip. As Samsung has done for the last few Galaxy S series, it worked with Qualcomm to tweak the chip for the best possible performance. This usually means a boosted performance core. Here is how the storage and pricing break down:
- Galaxy S26: 12GB/256GB = $899.99; 12GB/512GB = $1,099.99
- Galaxy S26+: 12GB/256GB = $1,099.99; 12GB/512GB = $1,299.99
- Galaxy S26 Ultra: 12GB/256GB = $1,299.99; 12GB/512GB = $1,499.99; 16GB/1TB = $1,799.99
I received the 12GB/256GB model, which is noteworthy because the limited memory capacity impacts performance. I've only tested a couple of phones so far with the 8 Elite Gen 5, but the results tell an interesting story.
I ran a number of benchmark apps so you can get an idea of how phones perform. These include 3DMark, Geekbench 6, and PCMark. The results are in the table below:
You can clearly see that the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers similar results across the three phones that have it. The differences in the Geekbench results between the RedMagic 11 Pro ($749.99) and the Galaxy S26 Ultra are statistically insignificant. The 11 Pro likely beats the S26 Ultra in PCMark because it has 16GB of RAM, while the S26 Ultra has 12GB. It's amazing how far behind Google's Tensor 5G is (at least when it comes to benchmarks). Still, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra delivers top marks, even though it's bested on at least one test.
Of course, all the apps, AI, and games you use in your everyday life will run flawlessly. I didn't see a single flaw or hiccup in the phone's performance over two weeks of testing.
Battery Life: Improved, But Still Behind Rivals
Samsung hasn't increased the capacity of the S26 lithium-ion batteries in its phones this year, a curiosity given that Chinese phone makers are going crazy with much longer-lasting 6,000mAh and 7,000mAh silicon-carbon batteries. When asked, Samsung said it is still evaluating silicon-carbon. It's no surprise that the company is treading cautiously, given its bad history with batteries. This caution, however, puts it at a disadvantage.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)The Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery, the S26+ has a 4,900mAh battery, and the S26 has a 4,300mAh battery. The Ultra supports wired charging at up to 60W and wireless Qi2 charging at up to 25W. Meanwhile, the S26+ charges at 45W wired and 20W wirelessly, and the S26 charges at 25W wired and 15W wirelessly. None of the phones support MagSafe- or Pixelsnap-like magnetic wireless charging, which puts them at a disadvantage compared with the iPhone 17 and Pixel 10, respectively.
To test the battery, I streamed a full HD video over Wi-Fi with the screen set to full brightness. I found the S26 Ultra lasted 15 hours and 5 minutes, or about 50 minutes longer than last year's S25 Ultra. In the same test, the iPhone 17 Pro Max (5,088mAh) lasted 32 hours and 11 minutes (twice as long!), the Pixel 10 Pro XL (5,200mAh) lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes, and the OnePlus 15 (7,300mAh) lasted 26 hours and 11 minutes. Clearly, Samsung (and Google) have some catching up to do.
Samsung doesn't include a charger in the box, but its new 45W power adapter is available for purchase separately. This is your best bet for speedy recharging. With 60W wired charging, the S26 Ultra powered up from 0% to 100% in about an hour. The OnePlus 15 is still the fastest to recharge amongst commonly available phones in the US, taking 31 minutes with the company's proprietary 80W wired charger.
Like last year, the S26 Ultra is Qi2 compatible, meaning it works with magnetized cases that adhere to Qi2 chargers. I tested this with a first-party Samsung charging case and can confirm that with the proper case, you can enjoy the benefits of magnetic charging—at an extra cost.
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Connectivity: Fast, Reliable, and Comprehensive
The S26 Ultra excels across the board at connecting to literally everything. It supports 5G (sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave), Wi-Fi 7 with Wi-Fi Connect, NFC, ultra-wideband, and Bluetooth 6.0 . As noted above, you can use one physical SIM card and one eSIM simultaneously.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)I tested the phone on Verizon's network in San Francisco and New Jersey, and it generally performed well. I was able to connect calls right away, none of them dropped as I moved around, and text messages popped through instantly.
On the data front, with mmWave on board, I saw excellent speeds on Verizon. The phone reached a maximum download speed of 652Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 217Mbps. An iPhone 17 Pro Max tested on Verizon in the same locations showed comparable speeds of 667Mbps down and 211Mbps up.
When tested within arm's length of my home's Wi-Fi 6 router, the S26 Ultra delivered excellent speeds of 844Mbps down and 263Mbps up, while the iPhone hit 797Mbps down and 223Mbps up in the same spot. When I moved to the edge of my Wi-Fi network, the phones' speeds dropped to 151Mbps down and 66Mbps up, compared with 173Mbps down and 59Mbps up for the iPhone.
I didn't have any issues connecting the phone's Bluetooth radio to accessories, like the new Galaxy Buds4 Pro, and it's worth pointing out that Samsung supports high-resolution audio playback when you use its phone and headphones together.
Audio: Loud, Clear, and Surprisingly Full-Bodied
The S26 Ultra is a great voice phone. Calls are particularly clean, with voices sounding warm and present without becoming sharp. The phone deftly reduces background noise, even when I was standing on a busy San Francisco street. The earpiece reached a maximum volume of 80.0dB, which is quite loud. The speakerphone pushed a bit higher, hitting 83.6dB. This makes both easy to hear in most spaces you're likely to be.
If you're streaming some tunes or catching up with your favorite creator's latest videos, the phone produces stereo sound when held sideways. The earpiece and downward-firing speaker work together to deliver crisp audio with surprising bass. I was able to just make out the lowest bass beats on our test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," which few phones can do.
Cameras: Ultra Means Serious Photography and Video
The S26 Ultra features Samsung's top cameras and is its most capable phone for photography and videography.
(Credit: Eric Zeman)It has a 200MP f/1.4 main camera, a 50MP f/1.9 ultrawide camera, a 50MP f/2.9 telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom, and finally a secondary 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. This is mostly the same configuration as the S25 Ultra, though Samsung says it made the lenses brighter. For example, the main camera's f/1.4 aperture lets in 47% more light than the S25 Ultra's f/1.6 lens. Similarly, the 50MP telephoto camera is 38% brighter than its predecessor.
The S26 and S26+ each have a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera, and all three S26 phones use the same front-facing camera, which is a 12MP shooter with an f/2.2 aperture. All three phones capture video at up to 8K30.
Most of the new features this year center on video tools and after-the-fact editing. For example, your Nightography videos should be clearer, thanks to AI scrubbing out the noise after the fact. The phone also has improved Action Video powers. It's using the entire 8K sensor to oversample when recording video, which gives each frame more room to move and stay within bounds. The result is steadier video, so much so that you might not need a gimbal. The Horizon Lock tool is astounding. With the horizon locked in place, you can spin the phone around 360 degrees and keep the horizon perfectly level. It's an impressive feature.
How do the photos and videos stack up?
No matter which of the four rear cameras you use, you'll be happy with the results. Nighttime shots do look cleaner, but they are not entirely free of grain. I shot photos throughout the focal range, from 0.6x through 100x. Everything up to 10x has sharp focus, accurate white balance, and colors that are mostly on point. I didn't see much oversaturation in the color layer, which Samsung is known to do. I was particularly pleased with the overall clarity of the photos. Everything you shoot at 10x zoom or higher tends to soften and lose detail. Once you're out between 30x and 100x, it starts to look like a watercolor painting.
There are tons of shooting modes and tools to use to get the shot you want. In addition to dedicated Portrait and Video modes, you can dial in zoom, control the flash, set a timer, manage the aspect ratio, choose the resolution (12MP, 50MP, 100MP), set brightness, add motion, apply filters, and even edit how your face looks by adjusting the skin tone, jawline, eyes, and smoothness.
I am not 100% impressed by the selfie camera. It shoots in two modes, a closer crop and a wider crop. Shots I took in the latter were often distorted and soft, with spots that were out of focus (like my face). I noticed the same behavior whether I was shooting a regular selfie or a portrait. That said, the photos generally match the tone and quality of those from the main cameras.
Video tools include the ability to shoot in Log, use the Advanced Professional Video codec, toggle HDR and/or high bit-rate capture, select the video format, and, of course, control frame rates and resolutions. Like the iPhone Pro, you can even save your footage directly to an external hard drive.
The video footage I shot looks great. The Action Mode is great fun if you have friends who want video clips of them performing stunts.
The S26 Ultra is an incredibly powerful platform for shooting photos and videos—and one of the best available from a mobile phone.
Software: AI-Powered Creativity and Smarter Tools
The S26 Ultra ships with Android 16 and OneUI 8.1, and will receive seven years of system updates and security patches. That's as good a commitment as any in the business.
In terms of AI, Samsung focuses on a handful of new features. The first is a new version of Photo Assist, which lets you edit photos by describing the changes you want. You can either type the changes or speak them. For example, you can have the gallery app change your hat's color from green to red, or remove it entirely. This can be really fun and lets you dramatically change your photos, though Samsung will add a "generated by AI" watermark so people know it's fakery.
(Credit: Samsung/PCMag)The new Creative Studio is for those with big imaginations. You can start with a photo or even a sketch, then use AI prompts to refine the project. For example, I drew a small dinosaur, and the app fleshed it out and made it look real. You can then share your creations by converting them into stickers, wallpapers, and more.
(Credit: Samsung/PCMag)Samsung is tapping AI to improve the performance of its Document Scan tool. When you take a photo of a document, the app is better at removing distortions and visual flaws, making the scans clear and usable.
Last, Samsung has improved how its Now Nudge and Now Brief features work. Nudge, for example, offers suggestions when you're performing tasks, such as dropping a note that you should make dinner plans with someone you're messaging, or ask a friend to share recent group photos. These appear as little dialog boxes that you can click or ignore. The Brief is more proactive, too, and better at scanning your email, messages, and calendar to help you organize your daily activities and catch you up ahead of time.